A Fragrance & Beauty Blog

Boyfriend EDP Perfume Review

March 14, 2011

Boyfriend is a fragrance by actress Kate Walsh. I had an opportunity to interview Kate Walsh about Boyfriend. There’s more information of the inspiration of this fragrance in that post. This is my review.

After wearing Boyfriend a few more times, I’ve decided that I really love it. At first I was wary. Does the world need another patchouli vanilla even if it is pleasant? Does the world need another fragrance gender neutral woodsy amber? Well, I could argue yes or no to these questions, but I’m not going to answer. I know that I like Boyfriend because of its simplicity and comforting notes. I’m a gal that likes masculine fragrances. Orientals and woodsy patchoulis are some of my favorite fragrances. I rarely wear anything sheer, light, or airy. Boyfriend is a fragrance that is inspired to smell like a men’s cologne mixed with a woman’s perfume. It’s a perfume for women, but I see it as a unisex fragrance. The blend of raw vanilla, resins, and woods reminds me of vanilla flavored pipe tobacco and traces of a few of my favorite perfumes, Prada and Angel.

Boyfriend is all about the raw vanilla. Luckily, it’s a “hefty” and great quality vanilla that doesn’t become plasticy or chemical. It’s a vanilla with a purpose. It’s good and reminds me of the “French” vanilla used in the La Maison de la Vanille or Laurence Dumont line. I definitely get patchouli mixed with the vanilla in Boyfriend, way more vanilla than what’s in the original Prada. Have I ever mentioned how much I love vanilla and patchouli together? Well, I do and you have to love that combo too to like Boyfriend at all. Patchouli is very prominent for a perfume that doesn’t list it (which may have scared people away). This opening is fairly simple a woodsy vanilla that is liked a Bauhaus version of the epic Mugler Angel (no fear, it only conjures up a phantom Angel, Angel is still in a league of its own and is more masculine). Boyfriend is rich vanilla, woods, tonka bean, and gummy resins. With a little more time, I do get a delicate swirl of night blooming white florals. They aren’t feminine or really noticeable. I honestly feel like they were put in the blend so that it would register as “feminine” in the note description. But, they do “lighten” the fragrance and they are a needed touch. After hours and hours of wear, I pick up on an Oriental styled plum note, like a prune. It compliments the vanilla “tobacco” and comforting warm woods.

I wear fragrance for myself. However, my husband loves this fragrance on me. He can’t stop sniffing it on me. He keeps thinking it is something way more expensive, saying things like, “I love when you wear Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille/Prada” and then I tell him its Boyfriend. It makes him feel sad because he considers it a celeb or “cheap” fragrance (what would he know anyways). After explaining the concept he admits that “it is really cute and clever”. Finally, David decided to wear Boyfriend and it smells really good on him. It’s much more vanilla tobacco on him. The incense resins are much more noticeable. It smells good on Husband. So, Boyfriend is really a “niche” unisex but it’s marketed to woman. I hope that the name doesn’t keep either sex from wearing it despite their gender or sexual orientation.

The fragrance is close wearing but long wearing. It’s a warm fragrance that I see myself wearing on cool rainy days in the fall and winter. But, I don’t know if I’ll buy a bottle because I have Prada and Angel. These satisfy my patchouli-vanilla-gourmand-masculine-feminine perfume cravings. This doesn’t mean Boyfriend is bad; I’m trying to justify not buying a bottle!

14 thoughts on “Boyfriend EDP Perfume Review”

I tried Boyfriend, and have to confess my first reaction was surprise that I didn’t not like it. 😳

But the true surprise was realizing that I am probably going to go back for the lotion. I think I have found a lotion vanilla delivery system that doesn’t overload my senses…plus, it absorbed really nicely! Good price point, good lotion, enjoy the scent–there’s a score. 😀

Honestly, at first I didn’t like Boyfriend. The 2nd time I was on the fence. By the 3rd time, I really liked it. Weird.
I haven’t tried the other items in the line. I wish the candle was available for purchase on its own!

I’ll have to look this up next time I buy mascara. It’s nice to have something new to sniff at Sephora. I’m wearing a vanilla/tobacco/resiny perfume today too, L’Artisan Havana Vanille. How do you think it compares?

[…] Shewolf a try if you like patchouli or earthy vanillas. Or if you like perfumes like Mugler Angel, Kate Walsh Boyfriend, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle and/or April Aromatics Bohemian Spice. I think it’s more amber-y […]